Pranayama/yoga for UC

I have always found that yoga keeps me well, yet I always seem to let it lapse ..
I think most types of hatha yoga would be good. I'd say avoid Bikram, too much sweating out of nutrients, and avoid "power" ashtanga as I find people in classes too competitive. Otherwise it is about finding a good environment to do it in and a teacher who properly approaches it rather than pushes people to overstretch and doesn't devote enough time to breath etc..
I'd look for a teacher who works with people with injuries so that they respect the body.

Thanks for the info London Lurker. It's for a kid, so bikram is out and I'm not really in favour of that type of yoga (it's more of a macho thing I think though I know it helps some blah blah). I know Iyenger is good, but I'm specifically interested in pranayama. Have you done this?

In the yoga classes that I have been to pranayama is the term they use for the breath? They have incorporated specific breathing "exercises" usually at the end or the beginning of the class and refer to it throughout. I am not sure about it beyond that? I certainly know that if I go to a class and there is no breathing focus, I think of it as an exercise class rather than a yoga class.
I imagine it is about finding a teacher then who is used to working with kids? Someone who can make things fun too because it is important to have fun and it is miserable to be ill as a child?
Also, on youtube, if you google "mindfulness in schools" you will find a lot of material, some of it about the methods and results but I think some direct videos for kids to use too?

you might be interested in baba ramdev. he is a yoga teacher who is very focused on breathing and gut health. it seems he has a yoga video for every ailment there is. the video i use is actually a really challenging breathing and belly workout. your gut gets tired from it, but you are literally sitting the entire time doing basic movements. there is a lot of quick breathing exercises while pulsing your gut and then there are slower breath exercises where you stretch your gut.

http://www.ramdevproducts.com/category/dvds.htm

i have the stomach ailments version, but he does have dvds based solely on pranayama.

yeah, i have no clue how to find a teacher in your area. my therapist gave me the dvd because she knew how sick i was. i've been to so many yoga classes in my area and never learned pranayama. even when i was teaching yoga, my certification workshop never talked about it.

you can learn from the dvd or call the local ramdev followers in your area. They'll recommend someone - they teach it, I just didn't want one of them coming around.

Prana is simply your breath, your life force. Pranayam is exercising & controlling that breath, being aware of it flowing. Which *should* be a major part of any yoga practice. I do yoga a lot, hatha & kundalini. Both of those incorporate a TON of pranayam & meditation. I think it does depend on the specifc teacher- I've been lucky to find a great hatha yoga teacher who does meditation specifically, we spend at least half-hour every class in meditation. Kundalini is pretty intense, with lots of abdominal work- I wouldn't recommend it for a child. I've not found any pose to be contra-indicated with UC- if I'm having a rough UC day, I tend to go easier on myself. But the whole awareness of breath issue seems to help with UC, & really, any illness, overall. Good luck! She will only benefit from this- I take my 10 year-old daughter to classes fairly frequently, she loves them. PS- alternate nostril breathing rocks! It's done often in kundalini.

For those seriously interested in pranayama, you should read Swami Sivananda's book on pranayama...you can google it. My research tells me you should stay away from Kapalbhati when there is colitis. There are different types of pranayama and Sheetali pranayama is supposed to be helpful per the above book.